These new artists mingle with appearances by a wide variety of better-known musicians, among them John Mellencamp, Aimee Mann, Joshua Bell, and Dr. John. Even New York's musical landmark, the soon-to-be-shuttered CBGB, makes a memorable appearance in the pilot.

"It feels like the city becomes a character, and adds texture to the show and informs the stories we tell," notes Rauch, who wants to show the grittier but still glamorous side of New York by shooting in places like Brooklyn and the East Village.

30-somethings: "There's a lot of pressure to succeed in your career, to find a mate for life, to begin that next step"

While Love Monkey centres on Tom and his mostly male buddies, it doesn't raise a testosterone shield that's impenetrable to a female audience. Male-focused though it is, there's a romantic comedy vibe to the show, which is as affecting as often as it is funny. At times, Love Monkey feels like an opportunity to eavesdrop on men in their natural habitat - and it's not as scary as we women might think. Sure, they ogle women in bars, talk about sports and sex, and act like 13 year olds with credit cards (to quote the book), but Tom and friends also reveal their insecurities about careers and relationships, and their confusion over simultaneously wanting love while being afraid of the commitment.

Bran (Judy Greer) tries to act as Tom's voice of reason. "You can't keep swinging from branch to branch forever, Tom," she admonishes her fickle friend. "Eventually, you're going to have to pick one and settle down. ... If you keep looking for the perfect branch, you're going to end up one lonely monkey." She's also the one to remind him that the world does not, perhaps, always revolve around him.

"Tom is a very likeable guy," Rauch says about the character. "He treats people with respect. He doesn't do anything intentionally malicious. He's just full of passion, and sometimes the passion gets in the way."

So does Tom represent the typical mid-30s guy? "In my experience, it's pretty close, but that might tell you more about me than you want to know," Rauch laughs. "There's definitely a lot of guys in that age range who are kind of stuck between full-blown adulthood and wanting to hang on to the vestiges of childhood."

The rest of the ensemble cover the gamut of social possibilities. There's Mike (Jason Priestley), the only one of the group who's married - to Tom's pregnant sister Karen (Katherine La Nasa). Shooter (Larenz Tate) has an unsatisfying job, but prides himself on satisfying the ladies. And Jake (Christopher Wiehl) is an ex-athlete and now sportscaster who feels the need to hide his homosexuality for fear of destroying his career.

Bran could be Tom's female near-equivalent, a single woman navigating career and relationships. "One of the storylines we're going to be following is the notion of being a successful woman in your 30s, and the pressure to get married versus the desire to be a full-time career person, and how that's different for women than it is for men," says Rauch.